Psychology basically means the mental state of a person. It is the science of behavior and mind. The study includes conscious and unconscious phenomena and as well as feelings and thoughts. If you are also a psychology student then you will need to take a number of courses that only focus on the science of human behavior.

Now, here are some of the top courses that you should consider when selecting your classes to take as an undergraduate psychology major:

1. The General Psychology

Well, there is a general study for every course and similarly, Psychology also has its own general course. It is an introductory course that offers an overview of the entire field of psychology. The studies may seem overwhelming at first, due to the sheer volume of information one can learn, but this important class lays the groundwork for your future studies.

However, the goal of the class is to provide an introduction to the history of psychology and the scientific study of the human mind and behavior. In this course, it may seem that you are skimming over the huge topics, but you will be able to delve deeper into these subjects in the later courses.

2. History Of Psychology

Well, in order to understand contemporary psychology, it is also very important to look back at the origins and influences of this science. The courses on the history of psychology generally begin with the subject’s ancient philosophical origins and explore the contributions of major thinkers up through modern-day.

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3. Psychology Statistics

The statistics courses offered by some of the universities are a must for any psychology major, whether or not you plan to pursue a graduate degree later. This course offers a core background for understanding how psychologists investigate human behavior.

Statistics generally focus on the statistical methods and the techniques used by the researchers. Many psychology graduate programs require at least one undergraduate course in statistics in order to gain admission to the program.

4. Experimental Psychology

The experimental psychology course is an essential foundation for any psychology major. In this course, the students learn about basic research methods and experimental designs. The course requirements may vary from one university to another. This course requires it, students, to perform different kinds of experiments.

5. Physiological Psychology

To understand the mind and the behavior, it is very important to develop your knowledge of the brain, the neural actions, sensation and perception, basic neuroanatomy, and the physiological processes. A course in this field serves as a good introduction to the field of neuropsychology, although it may be listed under an alternate course title such as behavioral neuroscience, biopsychology, or biological psychology.

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6. Cognitive Psychology

In this kind of psychology course, the students learn more about the cognitive process that forms the foundation of human behavior. It involves the study of the internal mental process- all of the things that go inside the brain, including perception, thinking, memory, attention, language, problem-solving, and learning.

7. Abnormal Psychology

It focuses on the biological, environmental, and cultural influences on abnormal behavior. In this course, one can study about mood disorders, personality disorders, psychosomatic disorders, and substance abuse. And in addition to exploring the background, assessment, and diagnosis of these disorders, students also explore some of the available treatment approaches.

8. Developmental Psychology

In this course, one studies the course of human development from conception throughout the lifespan. In some cases, the students may opt to take an encompassing course that provides an overview of development throughout life or choose to take a course that only focuses on child development.

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9. Social Psychology

It focuses on the scientific study of social influences on behavior and the interaction between individuals and groups. The topics studied in this course include

• Social pressure
• Leadership
• Nonverbal communication
• Persuasion
• Obedience
• Bystander effect.

Social psychologists are interested in the impact that the social environment and group interactions have on attitudes and behaviors.

10. Personality Psychology

It offers a solid background in the numerous theories of personality development, including Freudian, psychological, behavioral, humanistic, and existential theories.

In this field of psychology, one seeks to understand the personality and how it varies among the individuals as well as how people are similar.

Here is the list of top 5 best universities for psychology degrees 2020:

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Stanford University

The department of psychology at Stanford University is one of the first departments to be established at the institution. 

UG and PG programs are available, with the latter emphasizing research training. The department has been split into five areas. The areas are

• Affective science
• Neuroscience
• Cognitive psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Social psychology.

The department has tied up with many other departments at Stanford, such as:

• Biology
• Law
• Medicine
• Law
• Business

Princeton University

Princeton University has produced one Nobel prize winner from its psychology department. Six distinguished awards from the American Psychological Association and three William James fellow Awards from the Association for Psychological Science.

The graduation study focuses on systems neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, perception and cognition, personality and social psychology, and physiological psychology. 

University of Pennsylvania

The psychology department at this university is the oldest continuously functioning psychology department in North America.

The graduate research groups are split into two areas :

• Brain
• Cognitive
• Decision science
• Clinical
• Positive
• Social psychology

UCL

The psychology department in this university is the largest department of its kind in the UK, with more than 120 academic staff members and approximately more than 1500 students. In the area of Undergraduate courses, the department offers 20 master’s degrees in topics including

• Business psychology
• Neuroscience
• Decision science
• Human-computer interaction

University of Chicago

The department of psychology in this university was founded back in 1893. The UG psychology courses are centered around faculty taught courses and research opportunities, which makes it one of the first popular majors at the university. The Ph.D. programs are also popular in this university. The students can choose between four research areas to focus their work on

• Cognition
• Developmental Psychology
• Integrative Neuroscience
• Social Psychology

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